A brief synopsis on the flag law

The correct use of the Chinese national flag and the regional flag of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) have been determined in
regulations passed by the 58th executive meeting of the State Council, held
here [in Beijing] on Thursday.
In accordance with the National Flag Law of the People's Republic of
China, the regulations demand that when the national flag and regional flag
of the Hong Kong SAR are raised or used at the same time, the national flag
should be at the central, a higher or prominent position.
When the two flags are used at the same time and placed side by side, the
national flag should be larger than the regional flag, with the national
flag taking the right position and the regional flag taking the left.
In procession, the national flag should be raised in front of the
regional flag, according to the regulations.
The regulations will be put into effect on July 1.

Thanh-Tâm Lę, 22 December 1998

The Hong Kong SAR flag and emblem were adopted on Feb
16th 1990 and passed the preparatory
committee of Hong Kong SAR on Aug 10th 1996
and first officially hoisted on Jul 1st 1997
when Hong Kong was returned from the U.K. to China.Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 August 2004

The flag was adopted and by the committee which was drafting the Basic Law
of the future region. Ordinance No. 117 dated on the date of return to Chinese
rule, confirmed the flag and gave detailed construction details in Appendix 2.Christopher Southworth, 22 August 2004

The flower on the flag is the Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia Blakeana) -
named after the British Governor of Hong Kong from 1898 to 1903, Sir Henry
Blake, a keen botanist who discovered it near Pokfulam, Hong Kong Island, in
1880.
The actual flowers are bright pinkish purple, not white as on the flag.
If I remember my botany it is normally sterile and can only be propagated
by cuttings (there is one tree that is said to produce seeds). Actually it is
neither a tree nor an orchid, it's a member of the Class leguminosae (the pea
family). The genus is named in honor of the Swiss botanists of the 16th and
17th centuries, the Bauhin brothers.Graham Bartram, 20 August 2004

Protocol

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag shall
always be flown on the dexter side of the Chinese
National Flag, even when there are only two flag poles available.
(This is the opposite of the standard Western practice, where when
there is an even number of flag poles, regional flags are flown on the
sinister side of the national flag.) Officially, the HKSAR flag should
be smaller, and flown on a shorter flag pole, than the Chinese
National Flag.
Most government offices fly only the HKSAR flag (in contrast to the
former British practice of flying only the Union Jack). Sometimes
departmental flags are also flown, on either side of the HKSAR flag.
The Legislative Council flies both the Chinese National Flag and the
HKSAR Flag as prescribed above, whereas installations of the People's
Liberation Army fly only the Chinese National Flag. (Note the
political meanings of all these flag-flying arrangements.)
At sea, HKSAR government vessels fly only the HKSAR flag as the
ensign. Civilian vessels fly either the HKSAR flag, or the Chinese
National Flag above the HKSAR Flag.Miles Li, 10 May 2007

[Ed: The following information is included for historical purposes, further elaborated upon
by the protocol section, above.]

On 10 Nov. 1999, Jan Oskar Engene sent to FOTW the Chinese law on National
Flag :..Article 11 Measures for the display of the National Flag by civilian
vessels or foreign vessels entering Chinese territorial waters.. On 1 December
1998, Lloyd's List advertised for the Hong Kong shipping register with a
picture of the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag. On 1 December
2000, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV "Xin Qiang",
showing the Chinese National Flag over the Bauhinia Flag.
Yet on 6 February 2001, the same newspaper had a photo of Hong Kong MV
"MSC Hamburg", showing the Bauhinia Flag alone. On 2 February 1999,
the French Consul General in Hong Kong sent me two photos of launches in Hong
Kong harbour showing Bauhinia Flag alone.
So, I think that in practice both possibilities exist for the Civil Ensign,
the Bauhinia Flag alone or the Bauhinia Flag under the Chinese national FlagArmand du Payrat, 28 June 2001

[One] [photo] I recently took in the US Northwest shows the stern of the
merchant ship Abbot Point, registered in Hong Kong. She is flying
Chinese ensign above the Hong Kong ensign on the staff.Peter Ansoff, 19 September 2006

It seems that the practice of flying two ensign of Hong Kong, which we report
on is well established. Here is an example, a photo attached (and resized to fit FOTW-ml) I received from Robert Grubiąa from
Rijeka.
About a month ago, a large car-carrier was refurbished in the Rijeka "3. maj"
shipyards after 9 months and transferred to its HK owners. A report on that
(with another photo of the flag exchange ceremony) can be found at
http://www.novilist.hr/2010/04/29/-BBmonte-carlo-AB-za-35-milijuna.aspx
The flag exchange ceremony was performed, when the Croatian ensign was replaced
with that of the new owners - actually with two ensigns, that of the PR China
and the HKSAR hoisted one over the other. The photo attached show the final
result (and if you look closer, the neatly folded HR flag is set down near the
flag staff).
Anyway, flying two ensigns at the same time is not usual maritime practice, in
fact, if I am not much mistaken, it is not considered appropriate, even if one
is subordinate to the other. Or am I wrong? Is the situation in Macao the same?Željko Heimer, 16 May 2010

It is unusual, but follows a practice established in colonial Hong Kong. The
Hong Kong (Legislative Powers) Order of 1986 allowed the Governor of Hong Kong
to initiate legislation relating to, among other things, merchant shipping. This
led to the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance of 1990. Vessels
on the register were required to wear, on the same staff, the plain Red Ensign
above the Hong Kong Blue Ensign. It seems that the requirement was widely
ignored, and a Red Ensign defaced with the badge from the Honk Kong Blue Ensign
was flown instead. David Prothero, 16 May 2010

David's comments on the double Hong Kong ensign are perfectly correct. Such
usage was, indeed, rare, but the ferries plying between Hong Kong and Macao
invariably flew both the red ensign and the colonial blue from the same staff at
the stern of the vessel. When entering Macao waters, the Portuguese flag was
hoisted at the yard-arm.
Occasionally, one saw the red and blue ensigns both defaced with the colonial
arms flown in this manner, though usually, the defaced red was to be seen flying
at the yard-arm of foreign-registered vessels entering Hong Kong waters.
Željko asks about the practice in Macao. Before 1999, I seem to recall that only
the Portuguese flag was flown, Macao in those days not having a local equivalent
of Hong Kong's blue or red ensigns. I am not sure of the position today. Macao
does now have a regional flag and this may indeed be flown in conjunction with
the Chinese national flag in a manner similar to that which pertains in Hong
Kong.
I'll be going over to Macao later this week and will keep my eyes open. Watch
this space.Peter Johnson, 17 May 2010

I offer a
Youtube link which nicely illustrates my comments on how flags are
now raised in Hong Kong.
You will note that the uniforms, drill and commands continue to follow the
British pattern, the only novelty being the flourish with which the flags are
cast away.
The more observant amongst you will note that, towards the end of the clip,
other Chinese and Hong Kong flags can be seen already
flying at full staff further down the promenade. I doubt very much that these
would have been hoisted in the same dramatic fashion and am at a loss to explain
why they were hoisted before the two flags 'officially' hauled up in the clip.
A further illustration, I suspect, of the oft-found divergence that arises
between practice as prescribed in regulations and that which actually takes
place.Peter Johnson, 12 July 2010

The protocol manual for the
London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual
London 2012 [loc12]) provides recommendations
for national flag designs. Each
NOC was sent an image of the flag,
including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced
a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may
not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what
the NOC believed the flag to be.
For Hong Kong: PMS 186 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version
turned 90 degrees clockwise.Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012